A system, a method, and a computer program for generating a seed and/or a key from live biometric indicia, such that all the information necessary for generating the seed and/or the key is not stored on a storage medium. The method comprises receiving a biometric template from a user and enrolling the template; assigning an optimization value to the enrolled biometric template; encrypting an item of test data using the optimization value, such that the optimization value is an encryption seed; storing the encrypted item of test data on the storage medium; destroying the encryption seed after encrypting the item of test data; receiving a live biometric template; comparing the templates and determining an interval based on a probability that the templates are specific to the same user; iteratively testing values within the interval to identify the value in the interval for decrypting the encrypted item of test data, wherein the value used to decrypt the item of test data is the encryption seed; and generating the key using the seed.